Tag: Downsizing

Travel in France & beyond

And we thought France was cheap

Yachts in Barcelona harbor
Yachts in Barcelona harbor

You’ve already read a couple of blog posts about the cost of living in the southwest part of France and I’m certain that there will be more. In fact, in the works is another section of the blog that will show monthly budgets of other Americans living in different parts of the country plus we’ll include our own expenses as well.

While in Barcelona this month we had ample opportunity to visit shops, restaurants, markets, and supermarkets to get an idea of what it might cost to live here and it seemed pretty cheap. Restaurant meals in the 10 to 12 euro range abound including an appetizer or dessert with the main course plus a glass of local wine adding only 2 euro to the bill. Fresh fruits and vegetables, coming from only miles away were especially affordable. Drinkable bottles of wine from the supermarket start at just over 1 euro. Yes, really.

Continue reading “And we thought France was cheap”

Unknown's avatarBob2 Comments
Before leaving the US

Cathar(sis) country

Our new hometown, Carcassonne, is situated in southwest France right in the heart of Cathar country. It only seems fitting, therefore, that we should have had a catharsis this morning with the emptying of our closets. It was quite freeing to let go of clothes that we purchased as recently as a few months ago to our tuxedos that we bought when we lived in Chicago nearly 30 years ago. cummerbundsAnd why did we need five cummerbunds and matching bow ties that you see here? Those tuxes used to accompany us on an annual cruise and we certainly could not show up from one year to the next with the same accessories. By skillful trading of cummerbunds, ties, studs, and cufflinks, we were able to come up with “new” outfits for quite a few cruises. Continue reading “Cathar(sis) country”

Unknown's avatarBob5 Comments
Life in France

The electric vampire

French electrical outlet
French electrical outlet

This morning I was in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee when I heard Bill talking. I knew that it was way too early for him to have telephoned anyone so naturally I was curious. When I walked back to the office he was there in front of the computer talking to it. What?? You may remember that a few weeks ago we got a new large laptop computer to replace a smaller one that was on its last legs plus our big desktop, neither of which were going to go with us to France. The new machine has Windows 10 with your own personal assistant called Cortana that understands spoken commands. (Yes, yes, Apple users, Siri was years ahead.)

When I asked Bill if he were talking to me he replied, “No, I was asking Cortana to turn on the computer and open up the email. I didn’t want to have to push a button.” Continue reading “The electric vampire”

Unknown's avatarBob2 Comments
Life in France

Redemption

Refundable bottles
Refundable bottles

As we were driving from the Boston airport up to Camden, ME it struck me about how pious this region of the country, especially Maine, had become. Once we left Interstate 95, without exaggeration (as if I ever would) each time we crossed into a new town there would be a sign pointing towards the “Redemption Center”. Living in Georgia I was used to seeing a church on every street corner and having multiple religious TV and radio stations, but this explicit show of devotion seemed unusual. Continue reading “Redemption”

Unknown's avatarBob
Before leaving the US

Trying to adjust

Double order
Double order

Bill is so funny…and clever. He went grocery shopping yesterday and one of the items on the list was a can of pumpkin puree which we use to make biscuits for Heather. He said that it pained him to pick up only one can but in keeping with our goal to empty the pantry before we move, we’re only buying what we need each week. At least that’s how I understood it…. Continue reading “Trying to adjust”

Unknown's avatarBob
Life in France

Take it or leave it – Bill’s version

We just enjoyed spending time in rental properties in Maine and Massachusetts on vacation I have come to the conclusion that I have to chose carefully the items that will follow us to France.

Special kitchen tools
Special kitchen tools

After more than 30 years of culling the items that are not necessary and finding the perfect kitchen utensils that have withstood the test of time, there are tools that must continue their lives as part our new life. I have broken more garlic presses than I care to admit and now I actually have two that are sturdy and that do the job perfectly. We are taking one with us on our next vacation to pass along to our new-found friends Alan and Tracy who had to leave theirs behind when they moved from Reno a few years ago. I have a vegetable peeler that I found over 40 years ago in a little store in San Francisco, Williams-Sonoma. It is still sharp and is pleasing to use after all this time and after taking a look at it found that it was made in France so it’s going home, too. Continue reading “Take it or leave it – Bill’s version”

Unknown's avatarBill3 Comments
Before leaving the US

Here, you need this

Bill bought me a Fitbit®. Do you think that he was trying to tell me something? Actually we’d been talking about wanting some way to track our activity, or lack of, since we anticipate walking a whole lot more than we do now once we move to Carcassonne. Considering that we won’t have a car it should be a relatively easy goal to achieve of the recommended 10,000 steps a day.

But just how far is that? It’s about 5 miles. I read that a sedentary person takes between 1,000 and 3,000 steps a day so you really do have to make a conscious effort to get up to make it up to the much higher level. If we make daily trips to the bakery, cafe, market, etc., and long walks along the Aude river and the Canal-du-Midi with Heather then we shouldn’t have any problem. Continue reading “Here, you need this”

Unknown's avatarBob